This invention relates to a fireproof bulkhead or overhead to protect compartments of ships, boats, submarines, aircraft, railway tanker cars, and tanker trucks. More particularly, the fireproof ship""s bulkhead includes an inner core fireproof layer with adjoining outer metal layers and outer insulation layers with intumescent fire retardant coatings on woven fiberglass material on the metal layers.
1. Background of the Invention
Fireproof panels for bulkheads and overheads have been used for many years in compartments of ships, aircraft and the like, for protection against fire in many areas of the ship especially those where there is a potential source of ignition or a potential leakage of flammable liquids or gases. In these areas, it is important to separate the potential ignition sources and any such leakage from combustible areas that could lead to a major explosion or fire in a craft. Areas within these aircraft or ships in which this separation is required are defined as fire zones and are required by various governmental agencies to be separated from other areas of the aircraft or ships by fireproof firewalls. Under the United States Coast Guard regulations, fireproofing means the structure must be able to withstand exposure to heat and flames and withstand exposure to 1700 degrees Fahrenheit heat for up to 60 minutes, depending upon the location of the bulkhead. The standards required by the U.S. Coast Guard and the International Maritime Organization are included in IMO Resolution A.754(18) and are exposed for up to 60 minutes, depending on the location.
Typical designated fire zones include the regions in which are located engines turbines or furnaces, any auxiliary power units, fuel burning heaters, and other combustion equipment intended for in-transit use. In ships, the oil burning furnaces and steam generators must be isolated from the rest of the ship by properly rated firewalls and overheads. In addition, substrates such as steel, aluminum, and many types of composites made of vinyl esters, polyesters, and other types of resins require a rated firewall for the fireproofing.
Typical bulkheads and overheads of a ship are fire protected by using insulation blankets or insulation panels that are fastened to the sides of the bulkhead after the bulkhead is installed. These blankets are impractical or provide reduced performance for many reasons such as heavy weight, thickness, durability, and the requirement of a coating or surface finishing which adds a flammable top layer and significant additional expense. In addition, spray-on fireproof coatings are relatively difficult and time-consuming to apply and inspect, and are subject to cracking and peeling which must be repaired or replaced frequently. This adds up to increased installation costs, further maintenance costs and increased downtime for the ships involved.
There remains a need for a fire protective bulkhead or overhead having the following desirable features of being thin and lightweight, having high performance standards such as meeting the Coast Guard A60 requirement, a finished surface which requires no top coating, and a low surface flame spread complying with the SOLAS code (Safety of Life at Sea) of the IMO (International Maritime Organization), low smoke and toxicity requirements (IMO Resolution A.653(16) and MSC.41(64)), being easy to install which requires only a simple overlap joint with no reinforcement, and requires no additional installation of blankets or any other type of fireproofing materials, is completely dry, non-toxic and environmentally safe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fireproof panels for bulkheads and overheads of various designs, structures, configurations and materials of construction have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,319 discloses a flexible fire barrier felt. This is a fire barrier wall, which is a replacement for a ceramic blanket or mineral wool. This patent refers to only one component of a system, and does not refer to the entire bulkhead structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,243 discloses an insulative wall cladding having insulating boards fitting together to form channels and having fire-retardant panels disposed therein. This patent describes alternate methods of constructing walls in a building primarily for water and air pressure resistance at ambient temperature. The use of flame resistant materials allows the wall to have a reduced flame spread rating, but does not provide protection from fire penetration and this insulative wall will not comply with a 60-minute bulkhead fire test according to the IMO Resolution.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,615 discloses a fire retardant barrier system having a fire barrier wall for a building. This fire barrier wall features a layer of inorganic fiber material sandwiched between two high conductivity panels. The panels and blankets are joined together with a wound filament. The panel members are made of copper, aluminum, or silver. Copper and silver are very expensive. The performance of the aluminum in this invention is substantially poorer than the copper or silver, due to its reduced thermal conductivity. The wound metal wire is labor intensive and very expensive to install. Joints are cumbersome, complicated and not easily installed and require stitching with filaments. In order to achieve a 60 minute fire rating this bulkhead is complex, expensive, difficult to install, and requires complicated manufacture. This technique is not an improvement of the prior art techniques of using insulation blankets on bulkheads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,201 discloses a wall assembly for offshore use, suitable for applications on ships, ocean drilling rigs and platforms and the like. This patent design includes fiber-reinforced polymers as a skin with a core made of balsa wood. The panels are welded to the wall structures and require complex installation. The weight of an 8 ft. by 8 ft. section of this structure is 857 lbs. This is only 211 lbs. less than a typical bulkhead construction. By contrast, the bulkhead of the present invention is less than 300 lbs. for the same size.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,119,755 discloses a fire retardant plate material. This fire retardant plate material may be incorporated in a wall or bulkhead in place of mineral wool or ceramic blankets. It may be a substitute for mineral wool, one component of the system, but is not a stand-alone bulkhead.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,880 discloses a fire retardant partition wall having multiple panels therein for erection within a masonry structure. This wall prevents the passage of fire and smoke but is not designed for 60-minute fire protection according to IMO and U.S. Coast Guard requirements. It is heavy, expensive, and difficult to install and join together.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,625 discloses a partition wall for openings in building shells for providing a fire protection cushion for the openings in these partitioned walls. It is constructed with fiberglass and mineral materials. These are fillers for bulkheads but not stand-alone bulkheads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,555 discloses a flexible insulation panel for a drum and dryer apparatus with insulation.
None of the aforementioned prior art patents disclose the particular structure and design of the fireproof bulkhead of the present invention.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fireproof bulkhead made from an incombustible material inner core with outer metal layers and multiple insulation layers for use as a fireproof, flame and heat resistant bulkhead or overhead for protection of ships, aircraft, railway tanker cars, tanker trucks, and the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that is thin and lightweight, easily installed, requires no finish coat or topcoat, and requires no complicated joining techniques.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead with a surface that has a low flame spread, smoke, and toxicity according to the requirements of the United States Coast Guard and International Maritime Organization Resolutions (IMO Resolution A.653(16) and Resolution MSC.41(64).)
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that is completely prefabricated, with slide-in joining, requiring no cumbersome, complex, or time-consuming installation such as welding, wiring etc.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that requires no spraying, wiring, meshes, epoxies, glues, or any complicated installation techniques.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that allows for easy through penetrations for pipes, cables, conduits or the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that includes a decorative, attractive finish in any color.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that is strong, tough, durable, water resistant, and useful in all locations on a ship.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that requires no epoxies, no glues, no sealants, and no cumbersome liquids or chemicals to apply.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that meets the sound attenuation requirements of a ship compartment by the U.S. Coast Guard and IMO.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that complies with the requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard and International Maritime Organization Resolution A.754(18).
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that can be used in a variety of areas in a ship including passenger compartments, vehicle decks, galleys, engine compartments, etc.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that can be used on many different types of ships and transportation vehicles such as tankers, railway cars, etc.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that is durable and resistant to normal abrasive wear and tear.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a fireproof bulkhead that can be easily manufactured, mass-produced in an automated and economical manner, and is cost-efficient for a variety of applications by the user.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a fireproof bulkhead section for a ship. The fireproof bulkhead section includes an inner core layer made of an incombustible fiber material and having a first side for receiving a first composite and a second side for receiving a second composite for forming the fireproof bulkhead section. The first composite includes a first metal layer formed of a metal sheet, a first ceramic layer formed of ceramic fibers, a first foil layer formed of a metal foil sheet and a first outer layer formed of an intumescent, fire-retardant coating on a fiberglass sheet; and the second composite includes a second metal layer formed of a metal sheet, a second ceramic layer formed of ceramic fibers, a second foil layer formed of a metal foil sheet and a second outer layer formed of an intumescent, fire-retardant coating on a fiberglass sheet. The fireproof bulkhead section further includes connecting means in the form of section locking joints for connecting and interlocking two or more fireproof bulkhead sections together. The fireproof bulkhead panel provides protection for at least 60 minutes at a temperature of up to 1700xc2x0 F.; and has a weight of less than 4.5 lbs per square foot.
A system for supporting a plurality of fireproof bulkhead sections for a ship""s bulkhead is provided. The interlocking fireproof bulkhead system includes a plurality of fireproof bulkhead sections each having an upper edge and a lower edge; a plurality of connected ceiling track members for slidably receiving the upper edges of the plurality of fireproof bulkhead sections; and a plurality of connected floor track members for slidably receiving the lower edges of the plurality of fireproof bulkhead sections. Each of the fireproof sections includes connecting means in the form of section locking joints for connecting and interlocking two or more of the fireproof bulkhead sections together. Each of the fireproof bulkhead sections includes an inner core layer made of an incombustible fiber material and having a first side for receiving a first composite and a second side for receiving a second composite for forming said fireproof bulkhead section. The first composite includes a first metal layer formed of a metal sheet, a first ceramic layer formed of ceramic fibers, a first foil layer formed of a metal foil sheet and a first outer layer formed of an intumescent, fire-retardant coating on a fiberglass sheet; and the second composite includes a second metal layer formed of a metal sheet, a second ceramic layer formed of ceramic fibers, a second foil layer formed of a metal foil sheet and a second outer layer formed of an intumescent, fire-retardant coating on a fiberglass sheet. The interlocking fireproof bulkhead paneling system provides protection for at least 60 minutes at a temperature of up to 1700xc2x0 F.; and has a weight of less than 4.5 lbs per square foot.
The inner core layer is made of an incombustible fiber material such as mineral wool, rock wool, ceramic blanket, silica blanket, alumina blanket, and fiberglass. Each of the metal layers are made of metal sheet material selected from the group consisting of steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and alloys of steel or aluminum. Each of the ceramic layers are made of ceramic fiber materials selected from the group consisting of ceramic blanket, silica blanket, alumina blanket and combinations thereof. Each of the metal foil layers are made of metal foil sheet material selected from the group consisting of steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, tantalum, and alloys of steel or aluminum. Each of the outer layers are made of an intumescent fire-retardant coating on a woven or non-woven fiberglass sheet, wherein the fiberglass sheet material is selected from the group consisting of E-type fiberglass, silica fibers and leached fiberglass.